RESULT: Worthing votes to leave the European Union

The majority of Worthing residents have backed the UK leaving the EU in yesterday’s referendum.

The area is the eighth in Sussex to declare this morning, with the majority of voters in Rother, Eastbourne, Crawley, Chichester, Adur, and Hastings also backing the leave campaign.

Lewes is the only area in the county so far to back the remain side.

The turnout in the Worthing borough was 75.5 percent, and of those 53 per cent backed leave, compared to 47 per cent voting for remain.

Conservative councillor Luke Proudfoot, who campaigned to vote leave, said: “For the first time in my life I’m waking up in an independent United Kingdom. I’m so pleased that Worthing has voted to leave and contributed to the freedom of our United Kingdom. Happy Independence Day.”

Green councillor James Doyle predicted Brexit soon after the results started trickling in.

He said: “It looks like the high turnout has actually benefitted Leave; they’re getting better vote shares across the board already.

“Personally, I’m sad that the In campaign didn’t do a better job of offering an inspiring vision of how much we can achieve at the heart of Europe.”

Councillor Mark Nolan originally intended to vote remain but later switched to leave.

He said: ““This could all have been so very different had the EU taken the British people seriously. Throughout my entire adult life, and in all my time involved in politics, there has been a continued debate about the issue of national sovereignty and the EU’s determination to diminish it. The British people have spoken and we have stated that we are a democracy and that those who govern us and makes our laws will be voted for by us, the British people.

“I understand the anxieties many people have about this result and what it means for their children’s future. I would say to them that have nothing to fear. On June 24, 2016, they have far greater control over their future than they did on the 23rd.

“Today, we have made a sovereign decision that neither the economists nor the financiers run our affairs but that we are a nation governed by the people. We are a true democracy and the world is in awe.”